Nursing Home is a place for the independent residential care of disabled or elderly people. Sometimes known as assisted living facilities, nursing homes can also be called skilled nursing facilities, long term care centers, adult daycare centers, care homes, respite care or convalescent homes. Nursing home care is usually provided by licensed nurses, licensed practical nurses (LPN), or licensed vocational nurses (LPN/LVN). Nursing home facilities provide all or part of the patient’s needs in nursing care, including but not limited to: support with activities of daily living, bedside care, toileting, vital signs, hygiene, transportation, housekeeping, dressing, and psychological support.
Finding a nursing home care that you can afford is important. Some people don’t always have the extra income to pay for an in-home caregiver for a loved one that has a disability, illness, or age-related problem that makes getting care at home unsafe or impossible. One way to find out if a nursing home is appropriate for your loved one is to contact the nursing home’s principal and ask for a quotation. If the offer is too good to pass up, you can call up the principal and explain your situation.
Another common way to locate nursing homes is through an occupational therapy agency. In the United States, most states require hospitals to participate in the American Academy of Pediatrics Occupational Therapy Agreement (AAPTA). This agreement requires hospitals to offer certified nursing assistance (CNA, RN, or LPN). Occupational therapy agencies will usually need documentation of a patient’s specific condition, a current medical condition, and the expected outcome of the recommended treatment plan. You can contact a local occupational therapy agency to get these documents and any other information about different nursing homes.
Hospitals may not need to participate if they are licensed nursing homes. If this is the case, the state may require that the patient be transferred to a nursing home. A nursing home must be licensed by the state to participate in the APTA. Each state has its own regulations regarding the transferability of licenses.
Once you have found a list of nursing homes in your area, you can contact the licensing boards of each. You can also visit the website of the state in which you are interested. Most states have a website that allows you to contact them directly and request information on transferring to a skilled nursing facility. If they don’t have a website or you are unable to contact them, you should contact the Department of Health in your area and ask for options.
You should also look at the job duties that each nursing home has. You need to make sure that you are comfortable with the residents’ duties, their responsibilities, and their ability to meet your needs. Some nursing homes may have a staff of adults who help out with daily tasks while others do nothing at all. Other nursing homes may have children who can work in some situations. If you are looking for a nursing home that has an adult staff that performs a task similar to that of a dentist’s office, but with much more freedom, you should make sure that the job duties match your preferences.
You should also look at the cost factor. You don’t want to get charged more for moving to nurse homes than you would for staying in a traditional community. Be sure to find out if the cost of living in the new location will be more or less than your old neighborhood. You may be able to transfer your loved one into a cheaper area of the country if the financial condition of that area improves. The government often sets a grant program that helps low-income families pay for moving. You may qualify for this money if you are planning to move to a smaller town or a different state.
If you are not interested in paying for a private nursing home, you may have to consider the other types of housing options available. It might be more affordable to rent in a seniors community or an assisted living facility than it is to live in a nursing home. Whatever your preference, you should talk to your family members about what they think before making a final decision.